Know How / Environment Must reads Practical adviceSee all ARABLEHow 'mega-cluster' project benefits farming and natureA project linking farmers and private investors across a 12,500ha area of Sussex is aiming to support nature recovery and food production on a landscape scale. The Weald to Waves… GRASSLAND MANAGEMENTHow to improve livestock soils with biological approachSoil is a precious resource, but it very quickly becomes a pollutant and a problem once it reaches watercourses. It has to be kept on the farm. This is the… BUSINESSWoodland creation - tax, legal and practical adviceBy 2050, 16.5% of the UK will be covered by trees - that is the government’s aspiration. Tree cover currently sits at 10% in England, so there is some way… ARABLEHow to restore 'forgotten' farm ponds for wildlifeAs many as two-thirds of farmland ponds in England and Wales have been lost though drainage and in-filling, while those that remain are often shaded and tree-covered and do very… PIGSBenefits of grass leys for outdoor pig unitsGrass mixes can establish well and withstand grazing by outdoor pigs, helping protect soils and watercourses, a three-year trial has shown. The trial took place in north Norfolk on 16ha… BARLEYWhy spring barley can help growers cut their carbon footprintSpring barley can help growers drive down their carbon footprint by using better varietal genetics and using the benefits of cover crops. Spring crops, in general, are seen as better… Case studiesSee all FEED AND NUTRITIONHow high-yielding dairy cut soya and lowered crude proteinRemoving soya feeds and unnecessary additives from the diet, as well as steadily reducing crude protein levels, have been done without increasing farm costs or compromising production in one Dorset… LIVESTOCKHow breeders are using methane test in wool-shedding projectA farming duo has added methane testing to its breeding programme in a quest to develop low-input sheep with low methane emissions. Shropshire sheep and arable farmer Hayden Woolley and… ARABLEFood production remains key on nature-friendly arable farmAll three of the distinct land types at Somerleyton Estate, near Lowestoft, are being put to best use, generating a diversified income for the business and supporting both people and… ARABLEWhy Scots regen grower is first Carbon Farmer of the YearIncremental changes made over more than 20 years to address greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and increase soil carbon sequestration have resulted in Doug Christie from Scotland being crowned the first… SOILSHow measured soil carbon credits can replace BPS incomeThe first farm in the UK to sell measured soil carbon from arable land is on track to replace its Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) with carbon sales expected to contribute… CROP MANAGEMENTHow Wold Top Brewery barley grower lowered carbon footprintThe Yorkshire farming family behind the successful Wold Top Brewery and Yorkshire’s first single-malt whisky distillery is using the latest precision mapping technology in its drive towards a low-carbon, sustainable… InsightsSee all ARABLEHow arable farms can support farmland bird populationsA good, varied arable rotation, along with winter bird food stewardship options and a variety of hedges, will provide most of what farmland birds need to survive and thrive. Adding… DAIRYRevised methane method pegs dairy emissions 20% lowerNet carbon emissions from a sample of livestock farms fell significantly when analysed by a carbon methodology that accounts for biogenic methane. Distinguishing between biogenic (methane from ruminants) and fossil… BUSINESS MANAGEMENTHow supply chain is meeting UN sustainable development goalsThe UN’s sustainable development goals (SDGs) are rising up the agenda of businesses that buy from UK farmers and supply them with goods and services. Set out in 2015, they are… ARABLEThe network nature reserve built by farmers on arable landSupporting nature in a productive farmed landscape is the goal for a like-minded group of farmers in East Anglia, having come together to protect and enhance the biodiversity that surrounds… AGRICULTURAL TRANSITIONHow trading natural capital can help recoup BPS lossesFarmer interest in trading natural capital is in the ascendancy. Legislation has just been passed requiring house builders and commercial developers to deliver at least a 10% improvement in biodiversity… NEWSWould river dredging help prevent flooding on farms?The recent storms Babet and Ciaran unleashed widespread flooding on agricultural land across the UK, costing farmers millions of pounds in crop losses and damage to infrastructure. Climate scientists warn… SLURRY AND MANURE MANAGEMENTHow water treatment technology could cut slurry storageAdapting water treatment technology to a farm setting could reduce slurry storage requirements by 10-15%, make better use of farm nutrients and produce an effluent that is suitable for discharge… FARM POLICYQ&A: New CLA president sets out her ambitions for farmingThe new president of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), Victoria Vyvyan, has vowed to champion the next generation, celebrate the regions and take its Rural Powerhouse campaign to… Latest environment newsSee all WILDLIFEAre wolves the solution to booming deer population?A video of deer blocking traffic as they hurtle across a road in Lincolnshire has sparked a lively debate over whether wolves should be reintroduced as their top predators. The… BIODIVERSITYEnvironmental Farmers Group expands in MidlandsThe Environmental Farmers Group (EFG), a co-operative setup to help farmers generate and trade their natural capital, has announced a further expansion with the launch of a new Central England… MARKETS AND TRENDSDanish farmers could face first carbon tax on agricultureA proposed tax on the carbon footprint of agricultural businesses in Denmark is being considered which, if implemented, could make it the first country to impose this type of taxation.… NEWSCourt date set for sewage sludge legal challengeAn environmental group has been granted permission for a High Court hearing to challenge the government over accusations it reneged on a pledge to regulate microplastics and chemicals in sewage… ENVIRONMENT£100,000 lottery grant for Peakland Farmers GroupFarmers in the Derbyshire Peak District are set to benefit from a £100,000 grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, to help them deliver environmental improvements alongside their farming activities.… NEWSDefra to restore rules to protect hedgerows on farmlandDefra has vowed to maintain the six-month hedgecutting ban and related rules around buffer strips on farms in England to protect wildlife. Conservationists had raised concerns over a lapsed ban… NEWSEnvironment Agency 'not fit for purpose', says BattersDefra agencies including the Environment Agency and Natural England are not fit for purpose after Brexit, NFU president Minette Batters has said. Addressing the NFU Conference on Monday 20 February,… NEWSRural villagers celebrate victory against giant solar farmRural villagers from Lincolnshire are celebrating a legal victory, after thwarting an energy company’s plans to convert prime agricultural land into a giant solar farm. After a lengthy court battle… DAIRYDairy survey reveals lack of preparedness as climate changesDrought, high temperatures and flash flooding are the top three climate challenges for UK dairy farmers, according to a Kite Consulting survey. Climate change is happening, and the consequences are… CRIMEEA fines farmer nearly £20,000 for polluting streamA Somerset farmer has been fined for polluting an 800m stretch of watercourse, after ignoring the Environment Agency’s calls to remedy a leaking silage clamp. Neil Baker, who farms near… AGRICULTURAL TRANSITIONWelsh farmers use coffin to warn of death of industry at demoA coffin bearing the inscription “In memory of Welsh farming” summed up the despondent mood at a mass gathering of farmers in Carmarthen on Thursday night (8 February), with thousands… AIR AND WATEREnvironment Agency defends itself in River Wye pollution caseThe Environment Agency has defended its record in enforcing statutory pollution controls in the River Wye catchment, as part of its defence in an ongoing legal challenge brought by environmental… VideoSee all NEWSVideo: Farmer defends his actions on River LuggA Herefordshire farmer who was jailed for causing damage to a protected river has defended his actions, insisting they helped prevent flooding to local properties and land. Several homes along… SHEEPVideo: How a lowland farm is preparing for low-methane sheepResults from the first UK farm to test methane emissions in sheep using portable accumulation chambers have shown they were producing on average about 20g/day of methane and 1.2kg/day of… CARBONClimate adaptation and resilience within the farm businessOn Thursday 27 April 2023, Farmers Weekly hosted its webinar on climate adaptation and resilience within the farm business with the Woodland Trust. Integrating trees into farming systems provides opportunities… NUTRITION AND FERTILISERNew slurry treatment fixes N from air to create enriched fertA novel slurry treatment unit that boosts the nitrogen content of liquid manures, using only air and electricity, aims to help farmers reduce reliance on artificial fertiliser, improve crop performance…